November 2
1800s *1881 - The American Association of Professionals is founded with the motto "Liberty to All." The members are the Brooklyn Atlantics, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Louisville Colonels, Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Alleghenys and St. Louis Brown Stockings. This AA will be considered a major league. *1887 - The American Association Philadelphia Athletics are sold to a syndicate headed by Henry C. Pennypacker. The three long time partners, Sharsig, Simmons, and Mason, still hold a sizable block of stock. *1899 - Henry Chadwick, called the "Father of Baseball", visits US President William McKinley in Washington, DC, to propose that Army regiments be provided with baseball equipment. This is Chadwick's first presidential interview since his visit with President Abraham Lincoln in 1861. 1900s-1940s *1913 - St. Louis Browns player-manager George Stovall, fired the previous summer, is the first major league player to jump to the Federal League, signing to manage the Kansas City Packers. *1927 - Jack Slattery, Boston College baseball coach, agrees to manage the Boston Braves for a year. *1930 - Ernest Barnard completes his three-year contract as president of the American League. Among Barnard's innovations have been the establishment of an umpire's school and the recodifying of the rule book. He also led the effort to eliminate the sacrifice fly scoring rule –with inflated batting averages resulting from the livelier baseball, the batter no longer needed the benefit of not being charged a time at bat when his fly ball advanced a runner. *1937 - American League batting champ Charlie Gehringer of the Detroit Tigers is named Most Valuable Player, receiving 78 out of a possible 80 points. New York Yankees Joe DiMaggio is a close second four points behind while Gehringer teammate Hank Greenberg, who had 183 RBI, is a distant third. Gehringer also becomes the third Detroit player in four years to be named MVP. *1938 - Boston Red Sox first baseman Jimmie Foxx is voted Most Valuable Player of the American League for the third time, with Yankees catcher Bill Dickey second in the voting. *1944 - Japan, where baseball has been banned as an undesirable enemy influence, mourns the death of Eiji Sawamura. The Japanese pitcher, who is killed in action in the Pacific, became a national hero by striking out Babe Ruth in an exhibition game. 1950s-1960s *1950 - The Baseball Writers Association of America select Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jim Konstanty as the National League MVP. *1951 - The National Labor Relations Board files unfair labor practices charges against the Cleveland Indians on a claim the club fired a ticket seller at the union's request. This is the first case against baseball under the Taft-Hartley Act. *1955 - The Pittsburgh Pirates name Bobby Bragan as their new field manager, replacing Fred Haney. *1960: **New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris defeated teammate Mickey Mantle for the American League MVP Award, 225-222, the second-closest vote ever, behind Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams race in 1947. **Hank Greenberg asks for American League dates at the Los Angeles Coliseum, home of the National League Dodgers. Greenberg and Bill Veeck are expected to run the new Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim}Los Angeles Angels club in the AL. **George Weiss resigns as GM of the Yankees. *1964 - CBS becomes first corporate owner of a major league team buying eighty percent of the New York Yankees for $11,200,000. 1970s *1971 - Pat Dobson of the Baltimore Orioles pitches a no-hitter against the Yomiuri Giants in a 2–0 victory. It the first no-hitter in the history of exhibition play between American and Japanese teams. The Orioles compile a record of 12-2-4 on the tour. *1972: **Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton is unanimously selected the National League Cy Young Award. Carlton won 27 games for the Phillies, who as a team, won only 57 games. **The New York Mets trade pitchers Gary Gentry and Danny Frisella to the Atlanta Braves for second baseman Félix Millán and P George Stone, both of whom will contribute significantly to the Mets 1973 National League pennant. **Former Boston Red Sox shortstop Freddy Parent dies at the age of 96. Parent had been the last surviving player from the first modern World Series between Boston and Pittsburgh in 1903. *1974 - The Atlanta Braves trade Hank Aaron to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Dave May and a minor-league pitcher. Aaron will finish his major league career in Milwaukee, where he started it with the Braves in 1954. *1976 - San Diego Padres pitcher Randy Jones beats out Jerry Koosman of the New York Mets for the National League Cy Young Award. Jones led the league with 315 innings pitched and posted a 22-14 record for the fifth-place Padres. *1977 - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton outpoints Tommy John of the Dodgers to win his second Cy Young Award. Carlton led the National League with 23 wins and posted a 2.64 ERA. *1979 - Nolan Ryan and Joe Morgan are the top names available in the reentry draft held at the New York Plaza Hotel. 1980s-1990s *1983 - Pitcher John Denny wins the National League Cy Young Award. Denny posted a 19-6 record with a 2.37 ERA for the National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies. *1985 - The Montreal Expos finally sign their top draft pick, Pete Incaviglia, and then trade him to the Texas Rangers for infielder Jim Anderson and a minor league pitcher. Incaviglia, who refused every chance to sign with Montreal, will blast a Rangers-record seven home runs in spring training. *1988 - Oakland Athletics shortstop Walt Weiss becomes the third consecutive A's player to win the American League Rookie of the Year award, joining sluggers José Canseco (1986) and Mark McGwire (1987). *1993 - The Cleveland Indians trade pitcher Heathcliff Slocumb to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielder Rubén Amaro, Jr. *1995: **The New York Yankees name Joe Torre their manager, replacing the recently departed Buck Showalter. Torre, a former St. Louis Cardinals’ star and National League batting champion, will guide the Yankees to four World Championships in his first five years with the team. **The Seattle Mariners trade second baseman Bret Boone and pitcher Erik Hanson to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for P Bobby Ayala and catcher Dan Wilson. *1996 - Toni Stone http://www.nlbpa.com/stone__toni.html, the first female to play professional baseball at a big league level, dies at age 75. Stone played second base for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues in 1953. *1999 - In a ten-player megatrade, the Texas Rangers sent outfielder Juan González, pitcher Danny Patterson and catcher Gregg Zaun to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Ps Justin Thompson, Alan Webb and Francisco Cordero, OF Gabe Kapler, C Bill Haselman, and infielder Frank Catalanotto. 2000s *2000: **After a 15-year big league career, All-Star first baseman Will Clark announces his retirement. Clark ends his playing days with the Mark McGwire-less St. Louis Cardinals, giving St. Louis with much needed offense (.345 BA,12 HR and 42 RBI) in a two-month span after being obtained from the Baltimore Orioles. **Buck Martinez, a former Toronto Blue Jays catcher (1981-86) and the team's present TV color analyst, is hired as the Blue Jays manager. Replacing Jim Fregosi, Martinez joins Astros' Larry Dierker and Diamondbacks' Bob Brenly as first-time major league managers hired from the broadcast booth. **Wrigley Field has been granted preliminary landmark status by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. Any plans to refurbish or tear down Chicago Cubs' home since 1916 will have to be reviewed by this panel. **Todd Helton of the Colorado Rockies is named The Associated Press Player of the Year. *2004 - After a grounds keeper finds a grenade in the Wrigley Field turf, police bomb and arson investigators are called to evaluate the right field discovery. The rusty, hollowed-out shell turns out to be harmless and its origins remain a mystery. *2005: **National League Gold Glove Award winners were announced as Greg Maddux (P), Mike Matheny (C), Derrek Lee (1B), Luis Castillo (2B), Mike Lowell (3B), Omar Vizquel (SS), Bobby Abreu (OF), Jim Edmonds (OF) and Andruw Jones (OF) earned honors. **Former Baltimore Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli rejoined the New York Yankees as Joe Torre's bench coach. **Showing that teams put a premium on pitching, the Boston Red Sox and reliever Mike Timlin agreed to a one-year contract worth about $3.25 million, and the Seattle Mariners exercised their $6.25 million option on closer Eddie Guardado, choosing to keep him rather than explore an uncertain free-agent market. **Pat Gillick, considered architect of the Toronto Blue Jays' two championship teams in the 1990s, was named general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Births *1903 - Travis Jackson, Hall of Fame infielder (d. 1987) *1914 - Johnny Vander Meer, All-Star pitcher (d. 1997) *1916 - Al Campanis, executive (d. 1998) *1920 - Dick Sisler, All-Star player and manager (d. 1998) *1942 - Ron Reed, All-Star pitcher *1946 - Tom Paciorek, All-Star outfielder *1955 - Greg Harris, pitcher *1958 - Willie McGee, All-Star outfielder *1963 - Sam Horn, infielder *1966 - Orlando Merced, outfielder *1974 - Orlando Cabrera, infielder *1976 - Sidney Ponson, pitcher Deaths *1930 - George Hemming, pitcher (b. 1868) *1936 - Billy Shindle, infielder (b. 1860) *1970 - Jakie May, pitcher (b. 1895) *1972 - Freddy Parent, infielder (b. 1875) *1982 - Bill Zuber, pitcher (b. 1913) *1996 - Toni Stone, Negro League female player (b. 1931)